The Arena
by Gabrielle's Abs
Summary: The mighty Warrior Princess is captured by a mercenary and handed over to the Empress as a gladiator to train for the upcoming arena tournament. This story is intended for MATURE audiences only. There is F/F and very rough/explicit sexual themes. PLEASE REVIEW :)
1. An Empress

The raven-haired warrior groggily opened her azure eyes in a daze, confused on where she was. She attempted to sit up but immediately noticed that ropes and bindings restricted her movement, almost completely leaving her immobilized. She gave her intertwining leather and rope bindings a hard tug, testing them for any weaknesses. Shit, she thought, this guy is an expert. Xena then looked at her surroundings to begin planning her actions to ensure an escape. She was laid down by a small campfire, and it seemed that it was deep in the forest since the tree line was so dense. Her sword and chakram were tied together and peeking through the cover of a large bag, just out of her reach. Xena realized that she was just in her leathers, with her protective bronze breastplate and bracers removed. She took a deep breath and squeezed her breasts together, hoping that the force would push her hidden breast dagger out.

Suddenly, there was a figure standing over Xena. The lean-muscled blonde slowly crouched over Xena, examining her with childish curiosity. Her hair was wild and almost white. Her tanned skin gleamed with a sheen layer of sweat, the result of working on her weapon drills. She wore black armor that exposed her midriff and most of her legs. The only properly protected area were her shoulders, where layered shoulder pads rested. She looked down at Xena with a childish excitement in her wide brown eyes.

"Good morning, dearie" the blonde said with a toothy, devious smile. "Looking for this?" She held up the bronze breast dagger, swinging it back and forth, taunting Xena.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Xena asked through clenched teeth while slyly attempting to free her hands.

"You, my dear, disappoint me. I took down the great Warrior Princess with a single poison dart. Hmm…you gotta admit though, I am very skilled." She stated while examining the petite dagger, turning it over in her hand. "Why wouldn't I be? You made me after all." The blonde chided with her eerie smile plastered on her face.

Xena was lost on what the blonde meant when she said that Xena made her. However, she kept a straight face to avoid showing any confusion.

"Oops, silly me, we haven't been properly introduced…my name is Callisto." She said playfully through her devilish grin. "You murdered my entire family in cold blood at Cirra. You burned them alive in the family barn. I could still hear the screams of my mother and kid sister in my head as they were suffering at your hands."

"I never killed women or children, I always told my men they were off-limits. Cirra was a mistake." Xena replied.

"Oh yes. The Destroyer of Nations, the ever so bloodthirsty Warrior Princess is too weak to kill anyone but men." Callisto scoffed in disgust, "Don't worry dear, you'll get your fill of battle and gore soon enough…when I hand you over to the royal ludus as a gift for the Empress." She giggled insanely "I can't wait to see you in the arena, fighting to survive against an onslaught of enemies."

"I can't wait until these bindings are off so I can wrap my hands around your thin little neck, you little bitch." Xena spat, angered at the thought that someone had the audacity to believe they could break her, the legendary Warrior Princess, into becoming a mere slave to a worthless noble.

"Ooh, kinky, I like it rough." Callisto responded in a sultry tone as she winked. She quickly stood up and started breaking down camp. After the fire was extinguished, she saddled up her black horse. She expertly tied a rope to the horn of the saddle and around Xena's fists, roughly tugging on the rope for dramatic effect. She cut the ropes around Xena's feet so she could walk behind the horse with ease. Xena saw a chance of escape, quickly kicking forward, trying to stun her captor, but Callisto saw her actions coming from a mile away, casually catching her foot with one bony hand and holding it there. "Oh, what a bad girl." She smiled again, with her chocolate eyes piercing into the warrior's blue. She tugged Xena up on her feet, still staring at her.

"Let's go princess, we have a long way ahead of us." Callisto stated as she turned around and mounted her horse, nudging it forward into a walk.

Escape is going to be a lot harder than I thought, Xena observed as she inspected the complicated bindings interwoven around her wrists and arms that were dragging her forward to match the speed of the horse.

After what seemed like weeks of non-stop walking, they finally reached the city walls of the shithole called Rome. The exhausted Warrior Princess was barely able to stand, dragging her heavily damaged boots, unable to pick up her feet. Her captor, on the other hand, seemed to burst with energy. "Wow, I made it here in record time from Thrace. I hope the walk wasn't too much for the legendary Warrior Princess to handle." Callisto laughed sarcastically as she glanced back at Xena's beaten and rough figure beginning to slump over. The warrior's hands and arms were raw at how tight and rough the bindings were on her. She was completely and utterly exhausted, barely given anything to eat or drink, which was a wise decision on her captor's part seeing as she had no energy to fight Callisto whenever they made camp. She was sure her feet were blistered and bloodied. She must have looked like one of the savage Horde girls, with a dirty, beaten face and wildly unkempt hair.

"Woah." Callisto ordered the horse to halt before the royal guards on duty near the city walls. "I brought a present for her highness, I'm sure she's going to love it." she purred, smiling at the nearest guard.

The guard shifted to look behind the horse and laid his eyes on Xena. With a smirk, he shouted "Let them pass!" He grinned as he lewdly looked at Xena, his eyes never leaving her body. Xena ignored the gesture that so many men before him had done towards her. She was tugged forward by Callisto, now trudging through the streets of the capital. Hmm, so this is what the Roman Empire has deteriorated to, Xena thought, looking at her surroundings to map out her escape route. The mercenary and her bounty made their way through the thick crowd of people, gaping and staring at the legendary Warrior Princess. Callisto, still on her horse, led Xena through the busy, over-crowded market place, constantly tugging at the rope to make sure Xena would keep up. A group of six guards marched through, nodding at Callisto, and continuing their rounds through the city. The market place was speckled with various merchants selling exotic spices and foods at their stands. Some stands offered weapons, others were filled with novelty items and trinkets. However, no one was looking at the goods for sale. The citizens all kept their eyes on her, piquing their interest. While mapping out her route, she couldn't concentrate with the people beginning to crowd around her and yell obscenities. Xena had enough of the gawking, letting out an animalistic snarl to startle the onlookers away. It startled most of them off, silencing the crowd, but those a distance away kept watching her with fire in their eyes.

When they finally reached the palace, Callisto dismounted her mare, now dragging Xena herself towards the gates. The palace guards kept their eyes on her, never giving Xena a chance of surprise attack.

"Open the gates! The Thracian Whore is here!" one of the men snarled, his upper lip curling in anger.

"C'mon now, my sweet…there are people who are just dying to meet you." Callisto taunted as she pulled Xena in front of her and pushed her forward. Four guards flanked either side of Callisto, offering her protection if the Destroyer of Nations ever felt like lashing out. They walked on and on through the palace until they reached the center of the royal chamber. It was a great hall made of marble with innately carved wooden benches facing a single, throne. On the walls were exquisitely embroidered green banners with an insignia of a golden lion. The throne that sat on the top of the low marble staircase was ornately designed; it was made of gold, carved with designs of leaves and vines, twirling around the frame and meeting at the top of the throne to wrap around an emerald. The roof was filled with frescoes depicting all the Olympian gods in battle. There was Artemis with her bow drawn back, aimed at a fleeing soldier. Ares was poised with fire in his hands. Athena was throwing a javelin through a line of men. Zeus hurled thunderbolts over to a group of cavalry. Apollo was depicted setting everything ablaze while Aphrodite accompanied Hephaestus on a chariot. Hermes let go of a soldier as he flew high above the ground. Well, well, isn't this ideal décor to welcome guests, Xena mentally remarked in sarcasm.

After what seemed like an eternity, the expected figure finally entered the grand hall. The Empress walked with a great sense of dignity and held her chin high. She wore a simple gold floral circlet placed gently on her blonde head. She sported an ornately decorated breastplate over a simple red gown that hugged her body's curves and covered her neck up to her chin with leather boots peeking out from under. On her hip was a jeweled longsword, with a dagger peeking from around her back. Though she was scowling, she held a unique beauty. Her face was fair, with intense green eyes and beautifully shaped pink lips.

"What do you want Callisto?" The Empress glared at her with stormy green eyes, "I don't appreciate you wasting my time. I hope you're aware that this nation doesn't run itself." She stated in a stern voice.

"Oh no, Empress. Actually, I brought you a present that I think you'll thoroughly enjoy. The Warrior Princess herself." Callisto smiled, knowing that she would get rewarded immensely later.

The Empress shifted her gaze to the warrior, who stared straight back at her with icy blue orbs. She casually strode over and roughly grabbed Xena's face, cocking her head from side to side, inspecting her like she was some circus animal. Xena kept her poker face on, despite the immense rage she was experiencing. The blonde ruler circled Xena, eyeing her up and down, examining her new gift thoroughly.

"So this is the Destroyer of Nations," The blonde royal remarked "Interesting."  
"In the flesh." Callisto replied while nodding her head  
"Hmm. She seems strong…powerful. She would do well in the ludus for the upcoming games."

The Empress stood in front of Xena yet again. She grabbed the warriors chin and looked intensely at her azure eyes. By this time, Xena had enough of this treatment. She kept her face stoic, not giving away any hints about her next action. With a snarl, she quickly threw her head back and brought it forward hard, meeting her forehead with that of the Empress. The Empress staggered back, clutching her bleeding wound just below her hairline. The guards all came around Xena, holding her back while she thrashed, attempting to attack everyone surrounding her. Those emerald green eyes were furious and burning with rage as she quickly moved to Xena and backhanded her with all her strength. The warrior fell to the ground from the force and felt the sting on her mouth, aware that she was bleeding.

"Send her straight to the dungeons until she can behave like a proper slave! I will not have a wild animal in my palace." The Empress commanded the guards as she stared into Xena's eyes.

"Isn't it sad that the great Destroyer of Nations has been demoted to a mere slave. All because you lost your army to your second in command. I almost feel sorry for you. Almost." Callisto said as she picked up the warrior by her arm roughly. The guards came over and restrained her, all pointing weapons to her body.

Callisto and the guards went through one of the obscure side doors of the hall, descending down a narrow staircase until they reached a heavily reinforced wooden door on the bottom level. They escorted the warrior through the path to the dirty and horrid smelling dungeon where at least ten other cells were. The guards opened the door and dragged Xena through a damp, dark cell, throwing her against the wall and shackling her ankles and wrists to the wall.

"I'll kill you all for this!" the Warrior Princess snarled as she tugged at her restraints with all her force. "I promise you. I will hunt every single one of you down." She looked at every face, instilling fear in all except one.

"I would like to see you try, Warrior Princess" Callisto smirked a she walked out, the door swinging heavily behind her and locking with a thud.

The dungeon cell was dark, and the rusted iron shackles restraining Xena's raw bloody wrists and ankles were too strong to break through, as she had concluded hours before. She could feel her consciousness slipping from her slowly but surely. Her throat was parched, burning with the need for water. When she was just about to slip into the darkness of unconsciousness, she heard the outer door unlatch, and footsteps. Two people. Her cell door opened and a bowl of gruel and bread was thrown at her feet, just out of her reach. A goblet of water was slid in her direction, landing by her hands. She wriggled and stretched out so she could bring the bowl closer to her. When she could reach the bowl with her hands, she grabbed the bowl and quickly polished the bland, tasteless substance. For the first time in weeks, she had been somewhat fed. She chugged the water that was given to her, finally quenching her insatiable thirst. However, she quickly felt odd, her depth perception was wavering and the walls were spinning, her vision was beginning to blur. Damn it, I should have known. She relentlessly fought the symptoms, struggling to maintain her consciousness. However, Xena suddenly lost consciousness, the drugged concoction too strong for her, and finally succumbing to the darkness of sleep.

Groggily, Xena opened her eyes. She awoke to the view of the strands of her hair caressing the floor. She found herself suspended upside down with her feet tied bound together and strung up to a pulley system that was anchored to the stone walls of the new chamber she was placed in. Her leather bodice was gone, replaced by cloth wrappings on her chest and between her legs. Her hands were untied and hanging below her head, scraping against the floor. She looked around, observing her surroundings. In the dark, torch lit compact room were signs of suffering. There were various tools and structures that signified signs of torture. Dried blood was splattered and caked on the walls, especially where the shackles anchored on the wall across from her. She heard the clumsy thumping of three guards making their way to the door.

"We're going to have some fun with this Thracian bitch." Xena heard the vocal echo of a guard attempting to brag.

She knew what was coming. She knew what occurred in the depths of the Empress's dungeons. Everyone knew the horrid things the royal guards would happily inflict on whoever was unlucky enough to end up in the darkest parts of the castle. The guards stomped through the doorway with a smirk plastered on their faces. One man gently set down a leather satchel on a corner table and started taking out its contents. Slowly, one by one, he took out salt, a set of knives, large needles, and unfurled the whip that rested on his hip. His two companions were circling Xena and began messing with her. One pushed her, causing her to swing back and forth, scraping her hands against the floor. The other stopped the motion by yanking a fistful of her hair, making her contract her stomach to lean towards him. She looked him deep in the pools of his eyes, searing his face into her mind. She had already begun a list of the people she would kill from this experience…starting with the blonde whore Callisto. He was just another addition, another unnamed little shit taking orders.

"Lets get started then. I'm going to take pleasure in making you scream, whore."  
The guard walked over to the table of tools and wrapped his fingers around the whip that lay there. He took it in his hand, carefully inspecting it, praising the craftsmanship of the leather intertwined with the small iron pieces at the ends. He took a step back and quickly lunged his arm forward, bringing the whip in contact with Xena's skin. Xena gritted her teeth at the sensation of the sting accompanied by the blossoming of dull pain. She wouldn't scream out. She wouldn't dare give him the pleasure. Xena could feel her flesh break with each contact of iron and leather, it felt like her skin was coming off in ribbons. When he figured out the Warrior Princess tightly clasped her mouth to refrain from making a sound, he kept lashing out on and on, frustrated that Xena refused to give him the pleasure of audible agony. After the twentieth lash, he retired from the duty of torturer and let one of his companions take over. The new guard unsheathed his dagger from his belt and started making incisions along Xena's body. He walked around her, dragging the blade across her body. He made small nicks along her face, then pressed harder as he continued his way to her legs, leaving crimson trails of blood as he went on. He turned away so the guard that was unpacking everything could have his turn. He began beating her, using gauntlets equipped with iron plated knuckles. He kicked with boots containing steel reinforcements on the toes. By this time, Xena had forced her mind to escape from her body. She focused in a crack on the wall and stared into it until she was in a different place. Her mind ignored the physical pain while she began focusing on calling out to Ares. With each blow, her mind called louder and louder, until her mind was screaming with abandon…yet there was no answer. The God of War did not answer her call, he did not materialize in front of her, he did not come to the rescue of his chosen.

Her mind began returning to her body once she realized he was never going to save her from this tartarus on earth. She tried to ignore the blows, but they've become much more difficult to brush off. The sharp pain that accompanied her breathing signified that at least two ribs were broken. She was still attempting to focus on the crack in the wall, but she realized that one eye was too swollen to see out of. She focused on the crack with all her power in an attempt to leave her body yet again. However, the heavy wooden door of the dungeon swung open, breaking her concentration. Xena painfully twisted her body to see Callisto standing there with her usual smirk. The guards immediately stopped their task of torture and stood at attention facing Callisto as a sign of respect.

"How's it hanging, dearie?" She giggled, looking past the guards that were standing still as statues.

Xena had attempted an obscene gesture but she realized her energy had left her and her body was in too much pain to attempt moving for such an insignificant act. All she managed was to to spit at Callisto's general direction. Xena noted that a substantial amount of blood and one of those good chewing teeth accompanied her saliva. She came to the realization she was bleeding internally, which was never a good sign.

"What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" Callisto began looking at her up and down "Looking kinda rough there, my princess."

"I've been through worse. These are mere flesh wounds. I'm not yours, and I'm definetly not The Empress's. No one will ever own me." Xena spat back, managing a sly smirk to save face.

"We'll see dear. Have fun with your new friends." Callisto replied while blowing her a kiss and turning to exit the room.

Xena took her chance and reached for the dagger in front of her that rested on the guard's belt. She grasped the weapon and threw it cutting the rope that bound her blistered feet and landing on the wall near the anchor that held the rope's pulley system. She quietly landed on her feet as she fell and quickly stood behind the guard that she stole the dagger from and twisted his neck in her hands. Xena relished the sound and feeling of his neck breaking underneath her grip. She grabbed the sword on his belt and turned to stab the other unsuspecting guard in the abdomen. She pulled the man off the sword by placing a foot on his torso and pushing him away with what strength she had left. She twirled the sword in her hand and threw it at the final guard, catching him square in the chest. Xena killed all three men before Callisto had time to notice what was going on. She grabbed one of the knives on the table and caught Callisto right before she turned around. With a dagger to her delicate throat, Callisto began to laugh.

"C'mon Xena, do you actually think you have the energy to escape this castle, much less fight me?" She batted her eyelashes "You don't have the strength to harm this pretty little blonde."

"Oh, I don't plan on fighting you 'dearie', I plan on killing you right here and now." Xena said through her teeth and pressing the knife harder on the blonde's artery, drawing blood.

"Oh really? I would like to see you try." Callisto's childish attitude suddenly dropped, her voice signified that she was getting serious. Callisto quickly struck Xena with a closed fist to the face, catching her off guard and escaping her grasp. She quickly pulled her silver dagger from its place on the side of her battleskirt and faced Xena. Xena quickly got up and assumed a fighting stance, crouching, ready to pounce whenever Callisto showed an opening, gripping the knife hard in her hands. Callisto shifted, about to charge for an attack when guards burst through the entrance of the dungeon and began swarming the hall.

"Looks like playtime is over." Callisto licked her lips. "Now you're really going to have fun with even newer playmates."

Xena knew when to choose her battles. She spat again on the floor near Callisto's feet and threw the knife, embedding it in the stone wall right by Callisto's head. The guards tackled her, one holding each limb while simultaneously dragging her back into the room. They roughly threw her down on the floor and against the wall, shackling her securely by cuffing her wrists and ankles.

"Two of you stay here. You can either continue what the others were doing or just guard the door. I wouldn't like the little birdie to fly away." She winked at Xena "The rest of you get these bodies out of here."

The two guards turned to her with sneers plastered on her face. One was a brute, big in size while the other was of average build. "Ooh, girl, we're going to have fun with you." The average one remarked while grabbing the salt bag and emptying its contents on her, stinging every cut and area of broken skin she suffered. The bigger guard took a step back and gave a swift kick to her head, and she began losing consciousness again.

"That was for my friend, you bitch. That guard whose neck you broke? His name was Perdicus. Remember the name, you cunt. I hope it remains in your mind forever." The guard raised his voice in anger as the darkness consumed her.

Xena awoke in the dark chamber yet again. She could not tell how long she had been there. She did not know whether the sun stood blazing proudly in the sky or if the moon caressed the city in the night. Her arms were shackled above her and she let her head hang, her hair covering her face. Her pain was beyond belief. Her throat was parched, burning in a plea for the smallest amount of water. Her ribs were untreated and it hurt her to breathe in deeply. Her skin stung but the wounds had closed due to the drying effects of the salt. She heard six pairs of feet shuffling towards her direction from the down the hall. The group reached their destination and the door was unlocked. The door slowly swung open and she stood there. The Empress with her stone-like mask never took her eyes off Xena. Her elegant dress clashing with the grimy chamber. She walked towards her slowly, boots echoing through the emptiness of the room. She kneeled in front of Xena and lifted her chin so she could face her. Xena let out a sigh, closing her eyes and resting the weight of her head against the touch such a delicate yet firm hand. Xena opened her eyes to see the blonde looked deeply into those sapphire pools and tucked the hair from out of her face behind her ear. Xena swore that those emerald eyes gleamed with a sadness for just a split second before they hardened once again, turning into emotionless orbs of jade. Xena was thoroughly puzzled at the actions of the woman before her. Was it a psychological torture to caress me with a strong yet gentle touch after I had suffered from her hand, even if it was indirectly?

"Free her from these restraints. I'm sure she's learned her lesson. Escort her to the ludus after you get her cleaned up." The Empress stood again, still looking in the warrior's ice blue eyes. She nodded slightly, so that only Xena could notice it and turned her back to her. "And feed her as well. She's been without food for three days." The Empress stalked out of the room without another word.


	2. A Name

Xena was guided to her feet by a young slave girl that came weaving in and out of the crowd of guards. She was scrawny and her hair was an intriguing shade of red, almost brown. She looked frightened, her hazel eyes growing wide at the sight of the injured and bloodied warrior. She delicately placed her nimble hands around Xena, with one hand on her waist and the other grabbing the arm that Xena heavily slung around her thin neck. Xena half leaned on, half supported herself on the young girl for only a brief moment and then quickly slid off the young woman, not wanting to look weak in front of the guards. As they ventured down the hall, Xena clenched her teeth to try from crying out in pain. Her ribs are what hurt the most and each step she took was a bitter reminder of what happens when someone misbehaves in the palace and assaults royalty. Guards followed right on her heels as she walked behind the slave, following her through the thick wood door to the flight of stairs. Xena gritted her teeth and forced herself to use the railings to help support her weight up the daunting flight of stairs. The frail woman led her through a set of double doors and down another hall where plenty of murals lined the walls. She was led through another passageway and faced a doorway covered by silk curtains and the young slave girl halted. Two slave women came from the sides of the chambers and cautiously approached Xena with their faces pointed downward towards the floor. They stood before her and began unwrapping the bloody, tattered cloth binding that barely covered the warrior's beaten body. Xena growled and tried to swat them away with her hands.

"I can do it myself. Don't." Xena said as she pushed the slaves' arms away.

"Let them. It's their job…" The red headed woman finally spoke, "If they don't do it, they'll get a taste of the whip." She looked up at Xena with pleading eyes.

"Fine. Do your job." Xena looked sideways as their hands were on her body once again.

Xena stood still, letting them unwind the cloth that was wrapped around her body. It seems that some of the fabric had stuck to dried wounds because one of the girls tugged at the cloth and Xena hissed in pain as it took away some of the scabs. Though it took time, they carefully undressed her and guided her through silk curtains that revealed a steaming bath littered with rose petals and stocked with various soaps and oils. Holding her arms, they walked her into the bath while the red headed slave began gathering the soap and oil as well as a comb. As Xena submerged herself in the bath, she gave out a long sigh. The bathwater was heated and scented…not a pleasure Xena commonly had during her time as a warlord and conqueror. The slaves began to run their hands through her hair and on her body before moving on to lather with a lavender scented soap and wash the salt, blood, and dirt that was caked on her tanned skin. After they had bathed her, they gently began to clean her wounds, careful not to irritate any cuts and scrapes or accidentally remove any scabs.  
Xena began to relax to their touch after a short while, though the soap and water stung most of the cuts on her body. Xena let the tension out in one deep exhale and began thinking about how she got to the palace in this shit situation and how she was during her days as a warlord. The warrior began wondering of how her second in command betrayed her and managed to get her most loyal soldiers in her army to stand against her because she merely rescued an orphaned infant. She moved on and started pondering about how she survived the infamous gauntlet and how the men who recently beat her cowered in fear when she promised to kill every single one of them. She smirked at the thought of their cowering faces. The Destroyer of Nations was the only person in Greece-maybe even throughout all the lands- to survive the gauntlet. She thought back to when she wandered through the forest, on her way to Tripolis to her hidden armory while looking for a new army to recruit and destroy her betrayers, only to be captured by the devilish blonde.  
The slaves had finished attending to her wounds and led her from the steaming bath to a nearby bench where they sat her down so they can begin rubbing oils on her and combing her hair. The smaller slave of the two began grooming her hair, putting a few braids to keep the hair out of her face, like those most commonly seen in the hair of the female warriors near the Rhine. The other slave was carefully rubbing oils on her arm, trying to avoid any cuts but it was difficult. Xena tensed in pain when oil got on her cuts. Xena heard the distant shuffling of feet coming in her direction. She turned slightly so she could she who was going to emerge from behind the curtains. An elderly man with a balding head and long beard came walking in the bath chamber carrying a leather satchel filled to the brim with herbs and bandages peeking through the top. He slowly walked over to Xena, who glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest in a halfway attempt to cover herself.

"Don't worry, woman. Its nothing I haven't seen before. I'm just here to stitch your wounds and see that you are cleared for the ludus. Now, arms to your sides." He stated while sitting down next to her on the bench.

Xena let her arms fall from their place on her chest as the elderly man started threading his needle. He grabbed one arm and started inspecting her body.

"I don't know what you did, but sure looks like The Empress took her anger out on you. You're not the worst I've seen...well, the worst I've seen is dead, flayed alive because he spat at The Empress...and they expected me to heal him." He scoffed as he began stitching a gash on her right arm.

"Well, I can say that its not the worst thing I've experienced. But it's definitely one of the top." Xena bragged while simultaneously thinking back to the gauntlet and when Caesar crucified her on the beach, betraying the love she held for him.

"Well, you're a tough one then. Good for the arena. Now lay back, I need to stitch your inner thigh." He responded in a stoic manner as he pushed her back to the bench.

The healer moved on and began sewing the deeper gashes on her thigh, as well as the one on her back that came around to her stomach. Xena began thinking of the arena and what she's heard of it. The Roman Arena was infamous for setting wild beasts and several men on a single gladiator…Xena shivered at the thought of having to fight several opponents while the bloodthirsty citizens of Rome greedily watched. The healer shook his head as he took out a mortar and pestle from his bag. He sorted through various herbs and began mixing and crushing herbs together to make a poultice. He slathered the substance on her wounds causing Xena to pull back and bare her teeth at the old man when it began to sting.

"Relax. I know it stings, but they speed up the process of healing and help fight infection. Most of the cuts will fade, but some on your arms and legs will stay. Especially the one on your stomach and thigh." He said as he grabbed her arm once again.

When the healer had finished, he wrapped only the worst gashes in bandages, some on her back with others on the upper arm and leg, as well as around her stomach. The healer got up from the bench and nodded at Xena before turning around to take his leave. He gathered his belongings and disappeared behind those silk curtains. Not long after, the two slaves came from a side door near the far corner holding red satin in their hands. They motioned Xena to stand and began wrapping her in the scarlet material that felt extremely soft and hugged the curves of her body. The slaves made sure that her breasts were wrapped tight and the material was wrapped around several times in an intricate pattern to prevent any accidental loosening caused by any movement. The same thing was done to her lower side, in a cross between a loincloth and skirt to provide support as well as movement. She was also given a pair of leather sandals with straps that came up to her knees.

Finally clothed, Xena stood from the bench, stretching out her muscles when the red headed slave came through the curtains and brought down a platter of food. On the plate was a small grilled chicken decorated with herbs and slathered with sauce while a small dish of freshly picked olives and grapes were placed next to it.  
There was a goblet of water and diluted wine placed on either side of the tray. Xena's mouth watered at the sight but she made sure to inspect the food for any unknown drugs or substances. Being drugged twice was enough. When she didn't detect any unusual smells or sights, she dug in. She polished off her plate and both cups of liquid smiling at the fact that her stomach was finally being satisfied for the first time in weeks. The red headed slave came from the dimly lit corners and took her tray away. The other two slaves walked towards her and led her to through the silk curtains and door. They knocked lightly twice and a group of guards slightly opened the door, waiting for the warrior princess to come out of the baths and into the halls once again.

"Follow me. You're going to meet our Doctore." A gruff guard said sternly.

The group of guards surrounded her once again, making sure she didn't try anything this time. Xena began to observe her surroundings, secretly mapping out the interior of the palace.  
Though the castle's exterior seemed harsh and cold, the inside was absolutely breath taking. The floors were made of veined marble and plenty of marble and bronze sculptures, mainly of gods and warriors, lined the halls. Paintings and banners were hung up, decorating the white walls with splashes of color. Xena began closely looking at the paintings as she passed them; there were various lush landscapes and several depictions of fierce battles. The banners that accompanied some of the paintings were slightly tattered, making Xena believe that the bloody battles had actually occurred. The one thing that made it more convincing is the fact that there was one figure that constantly appeared in the depictions of war. Like the glint of gold reflecting sunlight, a blonde head of hair contrasted with the dreary color scheme of battle and was always shown in the front lines. The Empress was usually sporting golden armor fighting with a sword or in close combat sais, a rare weapon she knew came from Indus…very rarely was The Empress depicted with a bow at a distance from the battle. Xena began wondering how well trained The Empress was, wondering if she could someday test out her combat skills in a sparring session. Maybe one day she would have to fight for her freedom.

The group headed down stairs and down several well-decorated halls until they reached an iron gate that separated the castle from a training courtyard filled with sand. Several muscular men in barely-concealing loincloths were drilling and sparring with each other. The clash of weapons and grunts of men in battle was so familiar to Xena, who was taking a breath and letting it sink in. She would have to fight for her safety as well as her survival in this ludus. She would also have to demonstrate her abilities to intimidate any meat headed man from trying to have their way with her. The guard unlocked the gate and guided Xena through the iron fencing. He turned around and shut the gate.

"Stay here." He looked her in the eyes until she nodded.

He turned and walked towards a short stocky man who crossed his arms, holding a whip with one hand as he observed the men during training. He was muscular with blonde hair and blue eyes. His face was aged and sunken in slightly but he still held a brightness in his face.

"Iolaus, I have the warrior here." The guard greeted him by clasping his forearm.

"Is that so?" He asked as he turned to see Xena with a curious look.

Yes, Doctore." The guard replied as Iolaus laid his eyes on her.

"HALT! Everyone take a break. Theodorus help welcome the newcomer." The Doctore nodded at Xena, motioning her to come closer.

"Give her a sparring sword. Let our Champion choose his weapons of choice." He turned to one of the slave boys standing near the pillar.

The boy quickly ran towards a chest a picked up a beaten wooden sword. He ran to Xena and placed it in her grasp. Xena twirled the wooden sword in her hands, starting to get familiars with it. After a couple of quick moves, she was adjusted to its weight and balance and was ready for a match. Theodorus smirked and assumed a fighting stance with his two swords as Xena stalked towards the center of the courtyard. He was a big man with a scar running down his chest diagonally. Xena noticed that he had an earring peeking through his dark curly hair. She smirked at her opponent, hoping to annoy him. They circled each other, ready to pounce at the smallest movement. Xena saw that Theodorus shifted his weight, getting his body ready to attack. His flexed muscles gave him away…Xena could see his attack coming from afar. He lunged for her with a dual overhead swing. Xena sidestepped quickly, ignoring the pain that bloomed in her ribs. and gave him a big whack on his side with the flat of her sword while ripping the earring from his lobe.

He howled in pain, clutching his ear and beginning to grow furious that a woman managed to land a blow on the champion of Rome. He swung again, using all his strength. Xena managed to block it, just barely able to stay on her feet from the impact. She was holding back his weapons by gripping the hilt and pushing back with the flat of her hand on the blade. She watched him as blood began dripping down from his ear down to his neck and chest. She let him gain some space, took a step back and gave a furious kick to his jaw, knocking him over in the burning sand. She stood over him panting with sweat making her bangs stick to her forehead. She turned around, letting Theodorus get an opening to strike. She heard him rise and grinned when she learned that he took the bait. He lunged for her again but Xena blocked the strike with her sword behind her back. She swung her sword to the side, causing Theodorus to lose one of his swords. She turned to face him, tiring of this game. She put her hand on her hip, feeling naked without her chakram. She frowned as she twirled her sword, finally taking the offensive. She swung hard and fast, landing blows on Theodorus's torso through his badly timed blocks. She finally got close enough to melee and struck him in the temple with the hilt of her sword. He groaned as he fell to the ground unconscious. Xena stood over him, with the wooded sword digging into his neck. After a short while, she threw her sword down beside him and two of the spectating gladiators carefully moved around Xena to get Theodorus to the healer. They carried his slump body off the sand and moved him to the shade.

Xena saw a glint of metal and heard someone let out a breath above her, forcing her to glance up. Above the sand courtyard was a balcony. On that balcony was The Empress looking down at the recently concluded sparring match. She was wearing a blue tight fitting dress embroidered with bits of gold. She was also wearing her gold breastplate that stopped a couple inches above her navel as well as golden bracers. She was tightly gripping the goblet of wine in her hand causing her knuckles to turn white. Her usually cold eyes were wide in excitement. For a second, Xena could see that her aqua colored orbs were filled with a flash of something else, but she couldn't recognize what it was. It seems that the blonde ruler was yet another person intrigued by the sheer power and strength of the Warrior Princess. Xena bowed her head slightly, acknowledging the ruler before she looked back into those pools of green. Xena would not cease to look at her face, watching her every move, trying to find every weakness she had. The Empress nodded back at Xena before turning to talk to the red headed slave girl that stood beside her. She leaned over, cupping the slaves face in her hand, brushing her thumb along her cheek, and whispered into her ear. The slave nodded and walked away from the ruler. The Empress turned back to the sparring grounds with a sly smile on her face, looking directly at the new gladiator. She turned away and walked back inside to the palace. Xena stood staring at the space The Empress had occupied before walking towards the Docotre, smirking at him in her victory.

"Is there anyone else that can offer more of a challenge?!" She directed towards the staring eyes and slack jaws of the stunned gladiators, hoping that she could scare them off.

The Doctore walked from the shaded lounge towards Xena "Theodorus was the best we had. He was the Champion of Rome. He was completely undefeated…until now." He lowered his voice at the last addition.

Xena stood smirking and crossed her arms, staring at each and every gladiator, delighted that they had not dared to challenge her after they witnessed just one of her many skills. Within a few minutes, Xena found herself being called up to the office of the Empress. That same red headed slave girl had come down to fetch the warrior. Xena was once again escorted by the slave and several guards, leading her through the intricate halls and a flight of stairs where she found herself staring at a heavily decorated door. She raised her hand to knock but the door opened before she could even make contact with the wood. The Empress stood at the doorway, opening the door wider to allow Xena through.

"Just the Warrior Princess, Amarice. You've done enough for today, see that you rest yourself until suppertime." The Empress said sternly to the slave.

The slave girl bowed her head in thanks "Thank you, my Empress. First let me see to it that your bath has been drawn."

The blonde nodded, "Good enough. Now leave us. The guards too." She looked at the armed men that had faces plastered with confusion and lacking comprehension.

Xena stepped inside the office, taking in the scene laid before her. The office was spacious, to say the least. It was probably five times the size of the bed she once had while living with her mother in Amphipolis. The desk pushed towards the back was scattered with scrolls and parchments, completely covering it. On the walls were shelves that held at least 200 neatly-tucked scrolls. There was a fireplace off towards the side with two chairs and a plush sofa facing it. The largest bearskin rug Xena had ever seen was laid by the fire. On the ceiling was a fresco of the four seasons personified. Spring being a small child holding flowers and each season was aged more and more until winter's personification of an elderly woman basked in snow. Maps of various lands covered the walls and there was a table filled with various edible arrangements, even some fruits Xena had never seen.

"Congratulations on your victory. I didn't expect you to even land a single blow on the royal champion given your condition." The Empress stated before walking over to her window and bringing an ornate goblet of fine wine to her luscious lips and looking out the window. Her back was to Xena and she was facing out, admiring her achievement of creating such a vast, powerful empire. This city was the jewel that she had created from absolutely nothing. She had accomplished so much in less than a decade, and she planned on conquering much more. She looked down at her cup, fiddling with it and slowly rolling its contents about.

Xena shifted her weight to one side. "I don't need your congratulations. I will survive anything thrown at me. I have many skills." Xena cocked her head slightly with a habitual sense of overconfidence. The Empress slowly looked over her shoulder, staring at Xena with her usually intense, burning green eyes. She set her ornamented goblet down gently on the ledge of the window sill and walked towards Xena, circling around the Warrior Princess.

"For now, I will forget your back talk. After all, your victory made your worth so much higher and will make my purse much fatter. But you," The Empress kicked Xena behind the knee to make her kneel. "You will never forget your place. You are now a slave. You are MY slave. I own you. You are mine. You breathe because I allow you to breathe. You eat and sleep and live because I wish it." By now, the blonde had a unsheathed a hidden dagger and pressed it against Xena's throat, but Xena remained stoic, holding her poker face and not giving the Empress any sense of victory by showing that the ruler had instilled fear in her.

"There is nothing in the world that cannot be broken. Not even you." The Empress whispered in her ear with the dagger now pressing hard enough to draw out a thin trickle of blood.

The Empress turned and faced the warrior, looking down at her with an intensity. For a moment, everything was silent. She kneeled down and lifted Xena's chin up with her hand, gently caressing her chin. Xena's face felt like fire where the blonde had touched her again. Emerald eyes locked with sapphire. The Empress gave a slight chuckle, "I guess I can break you myself and make you my play thing. I heard good warriors make better bed companions." She wiped the blood trickling down Xena's throat away with her thumb.

Xena stayed silent. The sudden change of topic caught her by surprise. The thought of bedding the Empress had crossed her mind when she first laid eyes on her, but she never expected the opportunity to arise. She felt the burning desire begin to stir deep within herself as she looked at the petite blonde, who was still smirking. The Empress twirled the dagger in her hands and quickly cut the red satin that was bound around Xena's chest. Xena stood, staring straight at the green eyes before her, giving no hint of shame. She stood proud and held her chin high, not giving The Empress any power over her.

"Looks like my men really did a number on you. You're still bleeding." The Empress said as she reached to touch the bandage on her arm.

Xena broke her intense gaze to glance at her arm and stomach. Shit, I ripped the stitches. Xena silently chastised herself for being so careless. Blood began seeping through the bandages and pain began to start its dull pulsing. She shifted, trying to avoid the Empress's touch, but contact was inevitable. The blonde gently grabbed her arm and examined the wound with those sea green eyes of hers.

"Sit down." The Empress ordered while pointing to the sofa by the fireplace.

Xena stood and walked over to the sofa and took a seat near the edge while looking at the blonde take something out of one of the desk drawers. The ruler turned around, holding a small wooden case and headed towards Xena. In a few elegant strides, she reached the sofa and sat down near Xena.

"Give me your arm." The Empress ordered Xena once again while rummaging through her small case.

Xena held out her arm while the blonde began threading a needle. "You know you have a healer do to this for you. No need for royalty like you to get their hands dirty."

"Obviously the healer did a shit job. If you want stitches that rip easily and half-assed bandaging, you're free to head back to the ludus and ask for him. If not, let me do a proper job of it. Now that you've shown your skill, I won't have you bleed out." The Empress retorted as she pulled the final stitch, fully closing the bleeding gash on Xena's arm.

"Not bad, Empress. Not bad at all. You were a healer before?" Xena inquired as she looked at the neatly stitched wound.  
"Just a woman healing men after battles in war. I even had to stitch my forehead after you decided to act like a wild beast." The blonde said as she lifted her bangs to show 3 stitches right under the hairline. "You're lucky that my hair hides it. If it were anywhere else on my face, I would have killed you without blinking."

She removed her hand from her face and pushed Xena lightly, making her lean over the side of the couch so she could get better access to the warrior's side. She once again began threading her needle and worked on repairing the damage her men had caused.

Xena blinked at the blonde, unsure of what to say when a question came to mind. "What is your name?" Xena swallowed after The Empress glanced up at her. Xena quickly realized she was out of place, a slave demanding to know the name of her master.

"My name…oh, how long it has been since anyone has called me by my birth name." The Empress whispered as she finished stitching Xena's side. She cut the thread and leaned back on the couch as she looked directly into Xena's eyes. "My name is Gabrielle. Gabrielle of Potidaea."


	3. An Uninvited Guest

"Gabrielle? What a beautiful name." Xena replied, keeping her azure eyes on the blonde.

"Yes. I've given you my name but that doesn't mean you have the privilege of speaking it." Gabrielle replied as she quickly looked away from the warrior.

"I understand…Empress." Xena shifted her weight slightly after she saw the blonde tense at the last word.

For a moment, everything was still. Silence filled the air between the two women besides the cackling of the fireplace. The sunlight coming in from the windows made Gabrielle's shoulder-length choppy locks seem like a glowing halo and Xena couldn't help but take a second to silently appreciate Gabrielle's physical beauty. Sensing Xena's stare, Gabrielle cleared her throat as she got up from the couch and strode over to the door. She leaned her head out and talked to one of the guards that had been posted outside. After a quick conversation, Gabrielle walked back over to the window sill and picked up her goblet of wine. She quickly finished off the rest of what was left and headed over to the table for a refill. As she poured herself the wine, a light knock sounded on the door.

"Come in." The Empress commanded while holding the goblet to her lips.

"My lady." Amarice bowed her head and entered the room holding a pile of neatly folded clothing in her hands. She walked over to the couch with her head still bowed and placed them gently by Xena, making sure not to look at the Warrior Princess. Xena blinked at the slave girl, unsure what to do.

"Get dressed. Take what you like for now, I don't want you walking out of this room unclothed and immodest. Your clothing will be replaced by supper time and you can give my clothes back afterwards. You're going back to the Ludus but inform Doctore no fighting until your wounds are healed. I want to see you after the healer feels that you're ready to begin training." Gabrielle took another swing of wine and headed back to her favorite spot by the window.

"Empress." Xena nodded her head as she chose a white silk shirt and quickly put it on, trying to adjust to the tightness due to the difference in their sizes. She took off her scarlet wrappings and traded them for a pair of black leather pants. Now barefoot, she padded out towards the door with her old cloths in hand and passed it to Amarice. Xena turned around to face The Empress once again to bow slightly in gratitude as she walked out the door. Amarice, like a quiet little mouse, followed closely behind. Again, Xena followed the familiar path to the Ludus that she had already memorized after the two trips there. This time, only two guards followed alongside Amarice. The security it getting increasingly lax, Xena observed, it'll make things easier for escape.

After passing through the iron gate, Xena headed over to where Doctore was observing the gladiators fight. There were at least fifteen men sparring and beating each other in various forms of combat. Some gladiators were drilling with wooded posts while others slashed at imaginary enemies.

"Doctore?" Xena stood behind the stocky man that never took his eyes off his gladiators.

"Yes, warrior?" Doctore inquired as he faced Xena.

"The Empress ordered me to a room for rest. She feels that my wounds need to heal before I fight again. She wants me sent up after the healer clears me for fighting again." Xena stood with her hands behind her back.

"Very well." Doctore nodded and called over a slave boy that was standing in the shade.

"Yes, Doctore?" The slave waited for his orders with his head bowed.

"Show her to the sleeping quarters." Doctore ordered as he returned his eyes to his fighters.

The slave boy, was a thin, bright faced boy who seemed to be the only one in the palace with excessive energy. He guided her through a door near the iron gate and led her through a dimly-lit hallway to show her a private room that looked like it was uninhabited for the most part. It was a small room with only a bed and a small nightstand in the corner. Xena plopped down on the straw filled bed as the slave boy closed the door. She laid herself down sideways on the bed, facing the wall in order to take the pressure off her broken ribs. She closed her eyes and tried to rest, even though it was only slightly past midday.

****  
After a few candlemarks, Xena heard the horribly coordinated stomping of a man coming her way but she decided to pretend that she was still asleep. She heard the door to her room creak open and the movement of a single body behind her. She hears the soft drop of material on the floor and a rustling. One moment, Xena was facing the wall, the next, she's lurched to her back with one of the gladiators straddling her. The man was as big as Theodorus and horribly unkempt. His foul breath reeked of stale ale and he smelled rancid after practicing in the blazing hot sun all day. He put all his weight on her chest and tried to take advantage of her in her submissive position. He grabbed ahold of both her wrists in one meaty hand while grabbing and tearing at the fine silk shirt. He fumbled with the material and began roughly handling her breasts. At first, Xena screamed and tried bucking him off, but his weight was more than double hers and the pressure he put on her ribs kept her from screaming out again. Xena clenched her teeth as the gladiator squeezed her wrists together with such force that she thought they were bound to break at any second. The hand that was roughly handling her breast now moved lower and began stroking her center in between her legs. Xena could feel the hardness he was rubbing against her stomach and could not contain her disgust as she spit on his face. He pulled back for a moment, wiping his face, and delivering two heavy blows to her eye and jaw. Xena remained still as she tried to recover from the stun. She looked at this repulsive man with burning hatred as he began to loosen the drawstrings of her pants. The gladiator began licking at her neck and moved up in an attempt to kiss her when Xena saw her chance. Xena waited for the gladiator to get close before thrusting her head forward and forcing her forehead to make agonizing contact with his nose while simultaneously bucking him off with the power of her legs while he was caught off guard.

The gladiator landed on the floor clutching his bloody nose, howling in pain. Before he could get up, Xena lurched at him and swiftly attacked him using two fingers of her hands, successfully landing blurring strikes on his neck and abdomen. Xena wiped her forehead when she felt a warm trickle flowing down. She growled when she saw that her hand came away bloody.

"Now you fucking pig, I've cut of the flow of blood to your manhood as well as the flow to your brain. Excruciating isn't it? If I don't take it off, you'll die. Maybe I'll just take off the one to your brain so your manhood remains useless for the rest of your short-lived, pathetic life." Xena spat in anger as she delivered a powerful kick to his ribcage, satisfied when she heard a crack right before the gladiator curled up and howled in pain again. Suddenly, the door to the room burst open, with Doctore and several guards rushing in the already crowded room. Doctore looked at Xena and immediately down to the figure laying in the corner of the room.

"Undo what you did to him, or I'm sending you back to the dungeons!" Doctore ordered as the guards pointed their blades at Xena's neck.

"Next time I'll make sure to fucking kill you, and I'll do it slowly." Xena snarled as she took off the pressure points.

The gladiator lay on the ground gasping and choking as he struggled to regain his composure. Doctore grabbed Xena roughly by the arm and the rest of the guards helped drag her outside to the courtyard. Doctore threw her to the sand while the guards surrounded her, again pointing their weapons at her throat. Doctore motioned for the healer who was rushed over to quickly attend to the wounded gladiator. Some guards sheathed their weapons and dragged her towards a post in the center of the courtyard, throwing her roughly against the splintered wood to shackle her wrists to the ring that was embedded in the post. Xena heard the other gladiators emerge from their rooms to whistle and woo at the sight of the warrior's bare back. The healer had two other men support Cycnus on either side and sit him down in the shade to drink water. The healer threw a cloth over the exposed man, shielding eyes from his nakedness.

Doctore unfurled the whip he always carried and cracked it against the ground, getting ready to deliver Xena's punishment. Doctore has his hand positioned right behind his head, getting ready for the first blow, when someone interrupted the impending punishment.

"STOP!" Xena heard the slam of the iron gates and angry steps coming towards her from behind. The Empress pushed Iolaus away from Xena and made her way to the warrior's side. She yanked up Xena's face by her hair and looked at her with furious eyes of stormy green. The Empress wiped away the blood that made its way to the edge of Xena's cold blue eyes.

"What is the meaning of this!? I told you to make sure she refrained from hurting herself." She turned towards Doctore, her voice colder than Xena ever heard before.

"She attacked Cycnus, he's still unable to speak to explain what happened." Doctore replied as he twisted the whip in his hand.

Xena turned as far as she could with her body pressing against the wooded post in an attempt to face both Doctore and The Empress. "He tried to have his way with me. It was an act of self-defense. He's lucky you came in. I would have killed him." Xena explained as she tugged at her shackles. Hearing this, The Empress snatched the whip out of Docotre's hand and marched over to the wounded gladiator. She stood over him with the fire of Tartarus burning in her eyes. She slowly placed the whip by him on the table and moved her arm back slightly before landing a hard blow to the man's skull, the rings on her hand lacerating the flesh of his face as she delivered blow after blow. The man was left a bloody, blubbering pulp.

"Release her from the bindings…replace her with the gladiator" The Empress commanded while she wiped her hands with a handkerchief.

The other gladiators dragged the whimpering Cycnus over to the post while the guards unshackled Xena. Freed, the Warrior Princess stood to her full stature and wrung her wrists to soothe the aching that was caused by the tightness of the iron clasps. The Empress walked over to her and began unclasping two rings on her armor that rested on the edges of her collar bones. Gabrielle covered Xena up with the cape that was attached to her shoulder guards. The Empress waited silently for Cycnus to be chained up to the post. Xena could see how the gladiator began to tense in order to prepare his body for the violent lashings he was going to receive. The Empress handed the whip back to Doctore and nodded at him.

"Give him twenty. Hard ones." The Empress growled as she stalked away from the sad excuse of a fighter.

Doctore took a deep breath as he flicked his hand back and brought it forward with a blinding speed. Xena could hear when the iron flecks on the ends of the whip made contact with the skin. The screams of the gladiator were absolutely deafening. For a moment, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the wild noises that came from Cycnus; it fed the bloodlust of the beast inside her only slightly. Xena opened her eyes and looked on while the blood still dripped down her face freely flowing from her forehead. The Empress paced up and down the courtyard, eyes blazing with rage. "He is an example! Anyone who tries to force themselves or have their way with the Warrior Princess will suffer. I don't want her being touched by any of you primitive beasts. She will not be with child fighting in the arena." She shouted at the spectating, fearful gladiators. They all nodded in understanding as the shrieks of their fellow fighter continued to fill the silence in the air.

"You." The Empress strode away from the Doctore's side and headed towards Xena. The fiery blonde crudely grabbed her arm and dragged her behind with a "Come with me." The Empress led the warrior through the iron gate and marched her up the set of stairs. Guards attempted to follow but the blonde rapidly ordered them away. The iron grip on Xena's arm softened and eventually Gabrielle's hold was released as they wound through the various corridors of the palace. Gabrielle was deathly silent but Xena could hear her breathing heavily. Xena hugged the cape tightly around her chest as she followed the petite blonde through the maze-like hallways that held the guest bedchambers. Gabrielle sharply halted in front of one of the doors and faced Xena.

"This is where you'll reside from now on. I have no doubt in my mind that those gladiators will attempt that idiocy again." Gabrielle conveyed as she opened the door and guided Xena through the door.

Xena was taken aback by her room. She had expected a servant's room with only a bed and possibly a chair or two. Instead, Xena was shown one of the most beautifully decorated and furnished room she had ever laid eyes on. It was twice the size of The Empress's office room and twice as impressive. The bed was placed against the back wall in the center of the room, adorned with various furs and had a red silk canopy overhead. Paintings and maps were hung on the walls again. On the ceiling was a painting of the night sky, constellations and all, looking as if her chambers contained no roof. In the corner of the room was a mirror leaning against the wall on a dresser that had various perfumes and oils placed on it. Much like the office, there was a fireplace towards the side with several stuffed chairs and a plush sofa facing it. On the other side of the room was a table with two large wineskins and a pitcher of water. Numerous fruits graced the table, and what seemed like a mountain of scrolls were piled on top one another on the far end of the table.

Gabrielle walked towards the table in the center and guided Xena to sit by placing a delicate hand by the small of her back. The blonde grabbed a cloth from the tabletop and dampened it with alcohol from the wineskin. She stroked Xena's cheek before grasping her chin so Xena could look up at her. She brushed the raven locks away from the warrior's face. Gently, she pressed the cloth it to Xena's cut and inspected the damage that had been done.

"It seems that you're always taking care of me." Xena whispered in a coarse voice brought on by her earlier shouting.

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it." The Empress said as she pressed the cloth harder to Xena's forehead.

"What will your subjects say? Giving a slave special privileges and protection. I'm fine living with the other gladiators. I can hold my own against them." Xena inquired as the sweet wine stung her skin.

"My subjects always have something to complain about. What I do to protect what is mine doesn't not concern them. I am well aware that you are capable of defending yourself, but it seems that I should be more worried about protecting them from you." The Empress replied as she blotted the last of the blood from Xena's skin. Gabrielle was so close to Xena, but she can see that the blonde always kept herself at a distance, never allowing anyone get close enough to take a peek at her true self. The raven-haired woman could smell the lingering scent of hyacinth and jasmine on Gabrielle's skin and the aroma of sweet wine on her lips. Xena felt a desire to reach out and begin to explore the mystery of the woman called "The Empress". Xena could clearly see that Gabrielle and The Empress were not the same person. They looked alike, sure, but The Empress was only a charade…a mask that Gabrielle was forced to put on every single day as ruler of the domain of Rome. Gabrielle took a deep breath as she moved her gaze from the wound down to the sapphire orbs that seemed to never ceased looking at her. For a moment, they both held their own, staring at each other, wondering what the other was thinking…but Gabrielle broke away first. She folded up the cloth in her hands and placed it back on the table.

"Speaking of privileges. I will allow you to roam the halls freely, only if you agree to be accompanied by Amarice. I trust you will behave. Unless you want the guards on you like a pack of wild dogs?" The Empress questioned.

"I will behave accordingly…Empress." Xena allowed herself to seem the behaved slave in order to allow Gabrielle to let her guard down in front of her. She knew it wasn't going to be easy, but putting up a charade of her own might just solve the mystery of why Gabrielle acted so distant towards all.

"Again. I will have to replace your clothes. You can return the cloak and trousers to me afterwards." Gabrielle nodded before turning to leave the room.

…..  
Xena had kept herself busy by reading various scrolls in her room and observing the paintings and maps that hung about her new dwelling. Half a candlemark later, a soft knock was heard at the door. A beat later, Amarice came in with her replacement clothes and another silent slave quickly put a tray of food down at the table. Xena thanked Amarice and turned away to change. Now dressed in a simple cobalt gown with white lacing trim, Xena picked up the leather pants and the cloak. She faced Amarice with clothes in hand but quickly moved them out of the slaves grasp as she reached for them.

"No, Amarice. I want to deliver them to The Empress personally." Xena stated towards the red-haired slave.

Amarice nodded, knowing not to defy the command of the Warrior Princess. She beckoned Xena to follow her and guided her through the halls. Holding the clothes, Xena looked at the stars that shined over the city through the windows. Amarice stopped in front of the door at the end of the hall. She looked to the ground and strolled away knowing that The Empress and the Warrior Princess would both want a moment of privacy. Xena held her breath as she dawned over the door, and heard some movement. She focused in and heard the unsheathing of a blade followed by a sharp intake of breath and a groan. Xena felt her heart racing as she burst through the door, thinking that Gabrielle was in danger. However, what she saw surprised her and caught her completely off guard. Callisto's shock blonde hair was the first thing she laid eyes on. Xena moved her gaze downward and saw that she was bound tightly, each limb tied to each post of the grand bed adorned with rich furs and sheets. Callisto was unclothed with the expression of ecstasy gracing her face. The Empress was laid down with Callisto's legs wrapped tightly around her muscular shoulders while playfully holding a silver knife against her subject's taut stomach. The Empress quickly looked up from her spot between Callisto's tanned legs to see who had dared disturb her at this ungodsly hour. Xena hardened her face as The Empress met her eyes with fury. Those emerald orbs shone with a raging fire that was immediately smothered as soon as they meet the ice blue. Callisto followed The Empress's gaze to the Warrior Princess and started giggling.

"We're in the middle of something girlie." Callisto managed to say through her fit of laughter.

"I-" Gabrielle started as she pushed Callisto off her, her eyes wide at the unexpected visitor.

Xena pretended as if everything was normal and she had not seen anything. Ignoring the fact that the two blondes were in the middle of fucking, she interjected, cutting The Empress off. "Your clothes…Empress. Enjoy the rest of your night." She hissed through clenched teeth as she placed the clothes on a nearby table. She quickly stalked out of the room and headed straight towards her room as Amarice scrambled behind her in an attempt to keep up with her speed.

"Warrior, you must slow down! The guards might think you're plotting something and throw you in the dungeon for no reason!" Amarice grabbed Xena's shoulder delicately as she pleaded.

Xena quickly grabbed the slave girl's wrist, putting an immense pressure on the frail body. "Slave, you best go away and leave me be unless you want to be taken tonight. I promise you, it won't be pleasurable in the slightest." She growled as she increased the pressure on the delicate wrist. Amarice whimpered and tried to free herself of Xena's grasp. Understanding that the slave was well aware of the danger that lurks within the Warrior Princess, Xena released her and made her way to her room.

She slammed the door and immediately started pacing up and down, running her hands through her hair in frustration. Xena didn't know exactly why she felt this way but she couldn't stand to see Gabrielle in bed with that blonde bitch. She tried to forget what she had just seen, but the image seemed to sear itself in her mind. She stomped towards the table and grabbed her wineskins. She didn't even bother pouring the wine from the skin, and instead began drinking directly from the pouch. After a while, her temper eventually cooled and her vision was blurred. She decided to lay in her bed wrapped in the softest sheets she's ever felt and try to sleep it off. But it seemed that the raging heat between her legs would not subside. In her half drunken state, she let her hand glide over every groove as it made its way to her britches. She began thinking of what she would have done to please Gabrielle if she was in The Empress's bed instead of that devilish blonde mercenary. She traced her lips with her other hand, imagining what Gabrielle tasted like. She moved that hand down, slipping it underneath her dress front to alternate between kneading the tender flesh of her breasts and teasing her sensitive nipples. Her other hand had found its mark and her fingers caressed the heated flesh, rubbing circle patters against her throbbing clit before she sunk her fingers into her passion drenched center with a loud moan. She grabbed the sheets beside her as she began increasing her speed until she was pumping her fingers in and out of herself. In a short time, her moans heightened and grew louder as her body inched closer to reaching its climax. She dug her nails into the sheets with a cry of pleasure as the waves of ecstasy flowed through her. Overcome with her passionate state and strong alcohol, Xena had lost consciousness and quickly drifted into Morpheus's welcoming arms.


	4. An Invasion

Five nights had passed since Xena was freed from her manacles in the dungeon. Though she could roam freely in the hallways, it seemed, however, that she was still trapped in this palace. She had been cooped up in her guest chambers, only leaving to watch some of the gladiators spar with each other through the iron gates. She saw Cycnus weakly hunched over on a bench, his flesh raw and red from his recent brutal lashings. Xena wasn't much for reading, but she found herself wandering through the grand library that The Empress adored so much. Xena had never seen that many scrolls and parchments in her life. The room was circular, grand, with a small hole in the roof dome to allow light to pass through. There were various desks lined neatly about the room, with quill and parchment to take notes or copy. The library was so vast that voices echoed when words slipped from mouths. Tiny speckles of dust floated on the air. The sheer size of it amazed Xena, who was left speechless. Xena looked up when she saw someone crossing to the other side of the room on the upper level. She momentarily froze at the sight of blonde hair and rich fabric hugging curves. The figure stopped halfway at turned to lean on the railing. The Empress smoothed her hand over the gilded railing, admiring the craftsmanship. Sensing that someone was watching her, she looked up from the railing, and her eyes caught on to the raven haired warrior. Xena's heart had clenched when she realized The Empress knew if her presence. They had not spoken since that night. Without a word or a look, Xena turned away from the grandeur of the library, and walked back to her room, with Amarice in tow. When she opened the door, she saw the healer setting down his satchel on her table. She stepped in, nodding at Amarice to give them a moment of privacy.

"I'm here to decide whether or not you're fit enough for training again. Stay standing but remove your clothing."

Xena shrugged off her simple white tunic, stepping out from the pool of clothing that lay at her feet. The healer walked over to where she was standing and started poking and prodding at her.

"You took out your stitching, you're lucky you didn't accidentally open your wounds again."

"It started bothering me after the tenth night, so I just cut them and pulled them from my skin. My wounds were all closed anyway, it didn't really matter."

After tracing the angry red line on Xena's side, he stepped back and look at her " you look fine to me. You're a fast healer I see. Even better for the arena. I'll tell Iolaus that you may begin participating in training.. Wait here until I send for someone."

Xena nodded at the healer before putting on her tunic once again. After the healed had left the room, she let out a big sigh. Xena gently traced the curving scar on her side with her index finger.  
About half a candle mark later, Xena heard the light tapping of someone walking down the hall. Xena stood, readying herself to be taken down to Iolaus and begin her training. The heavy wooden door slowly swung open to reveal a blonde head of hair. Gabrielle entered the room and quietly closed the door behind her. She looked at Xena with exhausted eyes and a down turned mouth. She stepped closer to Xena, but Xena kept her distance, and stepped back. Gabrielle saw that Xena wasn't in the mood for talking, but decided to speak anyway.  
"Xena...Callisto is nothing to me. Just a muse to pass the time. Nothing more." Gabrielle looked at Xena with pleading eyes.

"What you do in your private chambers is none of my business. So are you going to check whether or not that I'm fit for battle?" Xena responded in a stern voice

"...yes. I am." The Empress hesitated before she took a powerful swing at the raven haired warrior. Xena instinctively caught the blondes small hand, ignoring the sting of the impact. Quickly realizing that this was an improvised sparring session, Xena delivered a swift kick to the blonde's side, but Gabrielle caught her foot just before it made contact and spun, causing Xena to lose her balance and making her tuck and roll away from her blonde opponent. The two warriors fought each other without holding back; powerful fists were flying and attacks were carefully parried. Xena and Gabrielle were both getting rid of their pent-up frustrations by battling each other instead of talking it out. Both came close to landing a carefully calculated blow on each other, but the battle ended up at a standstill. With her chest heaving, Xena looked around the chaos they had created in the room. Dented scrolls and splintered chairs were knocked over from the impromptu sparring session. The silver pitcher of fine wine was knocked over, creating a pool of warming burgundy on the cool marble floor. Xena looked at Gabrielle, who was also catching her breath and sweating from their activity, with golden bangs sticking to her forehead. Xena threw a heavy punch in her direction but the blonde dodged the attack and roughly grabbed Xena's right arm and placed her hand tightly around the Warriors neck. Xena had her left elbow pointed just below Gabrielle's chin, threatening to break a jaw if she were to go in for the attack. They stood there for a moment, just breathing heavily looking at each other, trying to figure out their opponents next move when Gabrielle did something completely unexpected. She loosened her grip to pull Xena closer to her and crash her lips against the warriors, her hands now gently resting on the tanned arm and neck. Caught by surprise, Xena let out a small gasp, and Gabrielle took the chance and deepened the kiss. Xena in turn, ran her fingers through blonde locks and pulled at Gabrielle's hair. The warrior dug her nails into the blonde's hip as she pushed Xena against the door of the chamber with a loud thud. Xena moaned as Gabrielle pulled her hair back to expose her throat and attacked with tongue and teeth. The blonde's hands were roaming underneath her tunic, teasing the sensitive flesh there. The two started moving their bodies in a rhythm, grinding each other before a guard knocked heavily on the door.

"Empress, is everything alright? Do you need any assistance?" A concerned voice sounded through the door

The blonde growled in frustration as she pulled away from Xena. "I'm fine. Return to your duties."

"Yes, Empress. Also, Callisto is here to see you. She insists th-"

"Move it, pretty boy!" A familiar voice sounded through the door.

The two were separated as a force from the door pushed against them. As they both turned to look at who dared to disturb them. Callisto's face twisted in anger as she saw the two women together, her teeth bared at the warrior. She turned her face to The Empress with furrowed brows.

"I request an audience with you, Empress. We need to discuss some things…In private." She said through clenched teeth.

"Callisto, you can wait. You know better than to intrude when I'm in the middle of something. I've executed people for less." The ruler replied with the usual fire in her eyes, staring the other blonde down until she intimidated her enough to make her leave. In response, Callisto gave a loud "humph" and turned, slamming the door behind her with such force that the paintings on the walls shook slightly. The Empress shook her head slightly at the childish behavior the blonde usually expressed when angry.

"I better go. You should be fine training in the ludus." Gabrielle turned to Xena curtly before exiting to follow the mercenary before she started a rampage.

Xena just stood in her room, looking at the mess she and Gabrielle had created during their sparring session. Amarice entered a few moments after, wide eyed at the mess.

"Come. Let's get you to the ludus. Don't worry about the untidiness, I will send servants to your room to clean up. Everything should look exactly as it was before." Amarice explained as she held the door open for Xena.

"Thank you, Amarice." Xena gave a small smile to the red-haired slave as she walked by her side.

****

After that eventful day, Xena didn't have much contact with The Empress. She would spar with gladiator after gladiator, and spar after spar, she would win again and again. Iolaus decided to spice things up by making her train while using different weapons, even the bulky trident and net, as if her opponents were just some fish just waiting to get caught. Though Xena didn't really enjoy the weapon, she grew proficient in it, easily entangling opponents in her tightly woven cage made of twine. Doctore would also put her up against multiple gladiators, and Xena would beat them into submission with ease. Xena quickly grew bored of the same old gladiators who easily showed the weakness in their defenses. It was a while until Doctore paired her up against Theodorus, who was hesitant to strike. The sparring session with the gladiators quickly turned into teaching them what to do in battle and what to avoid. Most of the fighters picked up on her tips, making them slightly harder to beat than before. After a couple brutal sparring matches, many of the gladiators steered clear of the Warrior Princess, unless they were sparring. Cycnus was the most frightened of her, always making sure to stay in the opposite corner when she was around. Each time Xena would have a practice match with the gladiators, she always caught Gabrielle looking from the balcony. For about a moon, the only contact they had was when Xena would give a small bow or nod her head slightly to The Empress when she watched from overhead. Sometimes, Xena would see a small upward curve of Gabrielle's lips, just the slightest hint of a smile when she looked at her, but for only a fraction of a second. The day before the games, however, The Empress stayed watching Xena the whole day with a furrow in her brow and a slight pout.

The day of the games had arrived, and Xena watched from her window as Apollo raced his chariot across the sky, pulling the sun up from its slumber. As the sky was painted orange and red, Xena felt that she was more than ready to shed some blood. The beast inside her had been starved, and all the pent up energy started coursing through her like lightning. As ritual, she was bathed and oiled by the slaves. For the arena, she had worn her hair in the warrior braids the slaves had done on her first day in the palace. They gave her a new outfit of armor for the arena. Much like that of an Amazon warrior, she was given a leather skirt that didn't seem to cover enough skin because it was significantly shorter than her usual leather battleskirt. She wore a leather brassier with bronze shoulder plates and strapped with a small chest piece that only covered the area where her heart was. She was also given boots that stopped right below the knees and had bronze plates on the toes and the back of the heels. The slaves then dipped their hands in red paint and smeared it on the warriors body. The patterns they created were intricate swirls and lines that contoured her muscles. Two red lines were painted vertically, leading from her right cheek to her jaw. Xena stepped out from the bath, and tried a few moves to see how much the armor would slow her down. Very clever, Empress. Xena thought, enough armor to protect me and keep me at my potential speed.

Doctore approached her, and led her to the cart that carried the rest of the gladiators, who were silent. Xena could see that some were praying to their patron gods and goddesses. Some called on Ares or Zeus while others prayed to Athena. Xena leaned her head back and closed her eyes, meditating until they finally reached the gates to the arena. There, the gladiators were rounded up into small pens, like some farm animals. Xena was put in a cage by herself and sat down on the bench. It was early morning, but the warrior could hear the rowdy crowd beginning to gather overhead. She was set to fight after mid-day, so she watched nearly every gladiator from the Royal Ludus go into the arena before her, with only several coming back. With each fight, the crowd grew wilder and unrulier, with profanity shouted as the roof shook overhead, causing dust to rain down on the fighters. A couple candlemarks later, Doctore lightly tapped the bars before unlocking them. Xena understood that she was fighting next and started stretching and lightly drilling to get her muscles ready. As Xena started warming her muscles up, Doctore laid a hand in her shoulder.

"You're the first in our Ludus to fight after mid-day. Take this very seriously. They could throw anything at you." He looked at her with concern filling his eyes.

"Got it." Xena gave him a nod as she walked over to stand in front of the gates. One of the guards handed her double steel swords which she expertly twirled in both hands. She watched from her place underneath the stands to the royal balcony. The Empress stood in the middle, raising a hand to quiet down the deafening roar of the bloodthirsty crowd.

"Athenians! Today is the first day of the gladiatorial games. Now, the first fight of midday will begin. Remember, the Ludus that wins the games gets fifty thousand dinars. Let the games commence!" She announced while raising her goblet to the sky.

With that signal, the gates opened, allowing Xena to step out and walk towards the center as people began throwing spoiled food at her and booing. On the other side of the arena where 3 men. They were well built and were so big that they seemed to be giants next to the raven-haired warrior.

"In my Royal Ludus, the Destroyer of Nations herself. Xena, the Warrior Princess!" Xena raised her swords up towards Zeus's sky and bowed to The Empress.

"In the Ludus of Petracles, the 'Three Fates of Death'!" The three gigantic men roared and banged in their chests. They pointed at a man sitting near The Empress and bowed deeply.

"This should be an interesting match. Let the match begin!" The Empress announced with a strained fake smile.

Xena took her swords and threw one down in the sand. She faced the three men who were circling her, trying to take advantage of a three point attack. Xena listened for the man behind her, knowing that he would be the one to give away the time of attack. She closed her eyes, allowing her hearing to take over. She heard the deep breathing of the three men surrounding her. She heard the hard beatings of their hearts. She heard the sound of sand shifting under the weight of the fighters. She heard a sharp inhale and the movement if air behind her. Xena tucked and rolled forward, out of the range of the men, besides the one with the trident. The man threw the netting, hoping it would catch the warrior princess but she was too quick. The other two fighters inched closer, step by step, when Xena saw the trident flying towards her. She quickly grabbed the gladiator to the right of her and used him as a shield as the trident penetrated his body. He violently coughed up blood, but it did not finish him off. Xena quickly threw him aside to face her now unarmed opponent. The man behind her with the axe had tried catching her off guard, but she knew exactly what he was going to do. As he swung overhead, she dropped her sword and clapped her palms together to catch the blade. The crowd roared violently at the sight of such a skilled defensive move. She twisted her hands so the axe would fall from her opponent's grip. She grabbed the axe and quickly threw it in front of her, impaling the man who threw the trident. She kicked her sword up to her hand and kneeled as she thrust the sword behind her, impaling the fighter behind her in the abdomen. Xena stood up quickly, running the blade upward to cause the man's innards to spill out on the sand. As the blood splattered on Xena, the beast howled with satisfaction. The gladiator who was impaled by the trident lay on the hot sand underneath her, weakly grabbing the handle in an attempt to remove it. Xena walked over and wrenched the axe out of the body that it was buried in. With a feral smile, Xena took her time walking to the injured man and raised the axe way above her head. She swung down with all her might and felt the warm spray of blood on her face. As she yelled in celebration of her victory, her hearing picked up the faint squeak of rust gates being pushed open. As she turned her head, her stomach dropped; she had faced thousands of men and killed many creatures along the way, but she had never faced a lion before. With a mighty roar, the golden creature sprinted towards it quarry with blinding speed. Xena began to back up until her hand brushed against the sword that she had thrown into the sand earlier. With a deafening battle cry, Xena pointed the sword at the creature and charged with all the strength she could muster. When the two clashed, the audience fell silent. All anyone could see was red. The lion had sunk its teeth into Xena's right shoulder and had its paws resting on her shoulder and hip. Xena was silent and a sweat broke out across her skin. Nothing moved in the arena and the crowd was dead silent. Gabrielle quickly stood up from her chair and gripped the railing of the balcony with all her strength. With a twist of her blade that found its mark in the lions heart, Xena yelled in strain as she kicked the lions body off her. With a weak and low roar, the lion slumped at her feet. Xena faced the balcony, chest heaving and blood flowing from her wound. Gabrielle let out the breath that she was holding and smiled. With a growl, she raised her sword and the crowd went wild. The noise coming from the stands was so loud that Xena could not hear herself breathing. Guards came and quickly dragged away the bodies, leaving bloody tracks to stain the sand. Xena walked over to the gate and sought out the healer. She caught his attention and led him to her cell. He quickly cleaned and stitched up the deep puncture marks on her shoulder, but not before pulling a broken lion tooth from one of the gashes. He handed her the tooth as a remembrance of her victory and closed her palm.

"Keep it. It will serve as a reminder. A reminder that you are stronger than most, and definitely one of the hardest mortals to kill." The healer gave a small chuckle as he wrapped her shoulder in torn cloth. He handed her a cup of herbs to drink to dull the pain which she quickly finished and thanked him. He picked up his supplies and left her alone. Xena rested her head against the wall and fell asleep from exhaustion.

****  
Doctore stiffened as Xena roughly caught his wrist before he could shake her awake.

"Lets go. The games are over for today." Doctore said as he grabbed Xena's hand to help pull her up. Together, they walked over to the cart. Xena hoisted herself up and sat comfortably in the significantly roomy cart now that the weak fighters were weeded out. The remaining gladiators were cheering and excitedly discussing what they were going to do with the money they earned from the day's fights. Most were going to spend it on honeyed wine for the rest of the group while others sought the company of women. Xena decided that she did not want to join in on the gladiatorial celebration since they still had the fights for another 3 days. As the cart pulled up to the ludus, Xena rolled her shoulders, noting that the pain from the fight was significantly less than earlier. She walked over to the gate, where Amarice waited patiently for the Warrior Princess's return. They walked to Xena's room, where they exchanged goodbyes until they saw each other the next morning. Now in her room, Xena placed the lion's tooth by the mirror. She unwound the cloth that covered the puncture marks to inspect the damage that had been done. She shrugged when she saw that the wounds weren't that significant. After a bath, Xena laid herself down on her bed, but Morpheus's arms did not seem to welcome her. For two candlemarks she tried to welcome sleep, but to no avail. She opened the door and saw that Gabrielle had stationed a guard right in front of her room.

"I want to see The Empress. Now." Xena growled at the guard stationed in front of her door. He nodded, speechless because of the intimidation that radiated off her. Xena walked down the hall and quietly slipped through the door. As Xena entered the room, it was dark besides two lit candles. The warrior saw The Empress, framed by the windowsill, dazed green orbs looking up at the star lit sky. The light from the moon cast a soft glow in Gabrielle, with her usually golden hair reflecting silver and white from the sky light. She was dressed in a patterned silk robe from chin that hung loosely around her shoulders, threatening to fall from the slightest disturbance. She slowly ran her delicate finger around the smooth rim of her goblet, lightly tracing the fine metal out of boredom. Xena was taken aback by the sight of Gabrielle. For once, the ruler seemed to be...at peace. Xena's breathing hitched and Gabrielle turned her head to see who was in her chambers.

"Xena" A blonde head turned from watching the stars. Gabrielle swung one leg over the window ledge and walked over to the warrior. "What do you need?"

Xena gave a hard swallow. Her heart threatened to burst from her chest by the way that it beat so hard. She quickly grabbed Gabrielle's hip and kissed her. Their mouths crashed together and Gabrielle slid her hands over Xena's shoulders. When Xena pressed the blonde closer to her, she responded by digging her nails in the tanned flesh of the warrior's back, avoiding her injuries. Xena hoisted Gabrielle up, and the blonde wrapped her strong legs around the warrior's waist. Xena walked them over and laid the blonde down into the bed covered in fine furs and sheets. Xena began working her way down, slowly sliding off the robe before reaching down to cup one of Gabrielle's breasts. Xena looked at the woman below her, eyes gazed downward to pink nipples then a muscled stomach before reaching a glistening sex. Xena lowered her head again to bite roughly on the soft neck. Gabrielle gasped and sunk her nails into Xena's shoulders. The ruler moaned as Xena began teasing her nipples, pinching them and lightly running her fingertips over them before lowering her head down to Gabrielle's chest. The blonde gasped as Xena took a hard nipple in between her teeth, lightly nipping before drawing lazy circles with her tongue. Gabrielle grabbed Xena's hand and moved it to her throbbing center. Xena took the hint and began stroking in between folds, drawing circles on the blonde's clit before releasing a nipple to quickly bury her face in between Gabrielle's legs. Xena used her tongue, quickly lapping up the passion that flowed from the blonde's core. She teased her entrance with a finger, just slightly running over the heated flesh. When the blonde growled, Xena took her cue and slammed two long digits inside, burying them into the molten slick heat of Gabrielle. Gabrielle gave out a cry of pleasure from the unexpected action and roughly pulled at raven tresses. Without pausing, Xena began pumping her hand in and out of the blonde while simultaneously sucking on her clit. Gabrielle couldn't handle both sensations at the same time, and she felt herself quickly coming undone. Xena could feel the blonde start to contract as her moans got progressively higher pitched. She pressed upward on Gabrielle's g-spot and sunk her teeth into the sensitive flesh of her inner thigh. Unable to take anymore, Gabrielle quickly climaxed and cried out as the spasms took over while Xena lapped up the passion that escaped from her release.

Without hesitation, Gabrielle pulled Xena on top of her and roughly flipped her onto her back. She restrained the warrior's wrists above her head with one hand as she bent down to crash their lips against each other once again. Gabrielle bit Xena's lower lip as payback for her marked thigh. Xena hissed as she felt Gabrielle break skin and felt hot liquid coming from her lips and trickling down her chin. Gabrielle flicked her tongue out and licked off the blood that dripped from her bruised lips. The blonde suddenly broke the kiss and reached to the side, rummaging through a nightstand drawer until she found what she was looking for. Gabrielle grabbed Xena's wrists again and restrained them in braided leather cords after setting aside a small knife. She tied Xena to the headrest and began her attack on the warrior. Gabrielle grabbed her knife and quickly cut away the offending material covering the Warriors body. She then leaned down and tugged at Xena's ear with her teeth. Hooded blue eyes stared back in ecstasy when Gabrielle leaned back to look at Xena's face. Gabrielle lightly brushed the knife against Xena's skin, tracing imaginary patterns on flesh. Gabrielle put a slight pressure when the knife reached the warrior's sternum. A thin line of blood appeared and Gabrielle discarded her knife, throwing it so it would sink deeply into the wall next to the bed. She bent down to lick the small cut and moved to play with hardened nipples with her tongue. Gabrielle made swirling patterns with her tongue as she looked up to see Xena throw her head back and moan. The blonde moved her hand south, passing over slicked curls before making a single finger sink in heated flesh. Xena shifted her hips, trying to get Gabrielle to move her hand or add more fingers but the blonde stayed still. Xena let out a frustrated sigh and then a whimper as the blonde teased her with a single finger. She looked at Xena's face change to pleasure as she sunk two more fingers in and started moving her hand. Xena ground her hips against Gabrielle's hand, her insatiable lust taking over as she moved to meet the hand that began pumping in and out of her with abandon. She could feel the warrior beginning to tense and quickly pulled her hand out. Xena whimpered and cried out at the lack of stimulus. Gabrielle lowered herself, putting both of Xena's legs on her shoulders and began working the warrior's clit with her tongue. Xena's inner walls started contracting and right before Xena reached her climax, Gabrielle lightly bit down on the throbbing clit. The pain and pleasure the blond inflicted sent Xena whirling over the edge. With an animalistic cry of ecstasy, Xena let go of herself while digging her nails into the arm of the blonde under her. The blonde copied the actions of the warrior, lapping up the juices that flowed from a pulsing center.

Xena pulled the blonde up from between her legs, unable to withstand the sensation. Gabrielle pushed herself off the raven-haired beauty, breathing heavily as she looked up at the roof. After a few moments, Xena quickly got up and started rummaging through a drawer to find clothes so she could dress herself.

"I have to go. I have to fight again tomorrow." Xena stated with her back facing Gabrielle, finally finding a simple tunic she could wear.

"Okay." The blonde barely whispered as she curled herself up and watched the warrior woman suddenly leave her chambers. Xena strode down the hall and returned to her room. She once again laid herself down, looking up at the constellations painted on her ceiling. She gazed over every constellation and still found that she could not sleep. Not only could she not sleep, but she found that she could not stop thinking of Gabrielle. Gabrielle…the blonde-haired woman from a rural village who ended up conquering most of the land…and started invading the warrior's chained heart.


End file.
